The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-02-16

hass could digest"
"Rather disjointedP" asked the doc
tor.
Hall Joints! it was a photograph Of
the man 'izselfr'
.Did he tell his name?" asked the
chief.
"No."
"Why didn't you ask him for it?"
eli was 50 scarf hi didn't know
my own!'
"Fiddle! Well, did he mention
either of these names here: lvy]
Snaer, John Earling or Celeste
Bright"
Eyes, e spoke of the one with the
'eayenly 'andle; said she was IL
niece"
"Any others?"
"Hu-m-m - femme see! yes, e
spoke of sister named Blower-hi
think it was-hout West, an some
Teller named Prime who turned Itself
to a Fowler, an some Mexican named
Gunnysack, or somethin' like that
81 guess you don't know great
deal about it. Why didn't you put
down what he said?"
Gum! hi was putin I'm down;
hi didn't want i'm to eat me!'
Fudge! well, make written
statement tonight before it leaves
your noodle altogether, and will file
the papers in the morning with the
proper authority, and notify this niece
did you ascertain if there really was
such person."
Eyes. hi card 'er warblin'; leastwise
the teller said it was err
II wonder if it was the lameish miss
who sung in the concert at Music Hall
the other night? Seems to me that was
her name"
Hi wasn't there, but if that one 'ad
voice like hangel it was 'er."
"Well, l will look the matter up in
the morning. Why, what become OF
the young man you brought? He could
probably tell US about it. Then we
ought to have his statement. too"
One of the night force, knocking the
ashes from his pipe against the railing,
said he had noticed him going out the
side door, looking as if he had seen
ghosts, or been shocked by Kentucky
borbon, and offered the further infor-
nation that he had seen the young man
often reading and writing in the court
house library of late.
But John Earling had fed away into
the shadows ere the man had finished,
crying within himself: "Oh! she will
know it then! she will know it, and
again the fiery thirst to tell her all and
of his love and pity came upon him,
and his feet like two hot winds carried
him toward her; but long ere he had
finished half the distance he felt that
he could not; that the very thought
was a kind of insanity; and he swerved
from his course and went into Eden
Park, and through half the night
walked about in its stiffness, brooding,
and breaking out into prayer-like
snatches of speech. Perhaps-no; she
would surely know upon the morrow.
He must not remain, it would only be
the deadlier for her. If he had only
told her of his love! o, if he had only
told her that! 1t seemed to him he
must cry ont; how could he leave her
to her pain?
When the morning broke he had
gone. All the long day, while the
train raced through the green world as
if bent on entering the western haven
ahead of the sun, self-pity and pity for
her burned together in him, mixed
with thousand glimpses, shades and
attitudes of the fatal matter. Man
always follows the strongest influence;
out of the myriad little forces that
push and pull, one, ADLER than the
rest, singly, or drawing others to its
cause, ever plucks us away to do and
follow its behest. With him it was a
wish, wish that was like a parching
thirst, and only such perhaps as baffled
love engenders, to protect the slender,
lame and motherless girl from shame
and pain. 1t seemed to him he could
only partly compass it at best, and that,
by fleeing from her. Even if the fatal
facts should escape from their old dark
ness into her sight, the property which
had fallen to her, and which would
have been his but for death envel-
oped in doubt and mystery, would be
like gulf between them. o if he
had only told her of his love before!
Now might she not think that he only
sought his own through her? Might
she not give herself to him to return
him what might be his own and not for
love, which he valued only? No, no,
she would never be unworthy of her.
self; she could not be that. But if this
horror fell fully upon her, and he came
to her then, would she not think it was
out of sheer pity, and not for lover
love which to her, as to him, must be
dearer than gold, sweeter than pity,
and all-sufficient in itself! He prayed
mentally that the truth in all its cruel
fullness might be denied her; that only
the papers and the fact of her uncle's
death might reach her. If an inquest
were held, though the evidence might
be meager and broken, he felt that her
woman's soul must divine the truth.
All, he would not be there to make it
bitterer; they would not know whittier
he had gone, not even she!
That day he wrote her note, with
out heading, saying simply that he had
thought it best to 60 away, and dropped
it into mail car that Elected toward
the East The next morning he came
into Openstone = Openstone sitting
among her prairies, that Tapped, and
swayed, and rolled away, as if the fat
old earth had grown unending double
ehins. Indeed, Openstone seemed sit
ting in the heart of plenty, and was
bustling and driving, as she had these
tnirty years with ever accelerating
pulse, increasing numerals and enlarg-
ing airs. The ways of the cities were
=. A.. l. L L.. 1888 e